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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. E. HARBAUGH.

. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 372.535. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

H.E.HAR] 3AUGH. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 372,535. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

z Lznzamas, 17272712??? @wmw 6 UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

HOYVARD E. HARBAUGH, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE S. B.\VILKINS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,535, dated November1, 1887. Application filed October 29, 1885. Serial No. 181,272. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD E. Hltmaanon, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Rockford, in the county ofNVinnebago and Stateof Illinois, have invented new and useful ImprovementsinCircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to knitting-machines in which the needles moveendwise in grooves formed in the needle-supporting cylinder of themachine, and in which the endwise movement of the needles in theirgrooves is produced by the operating-cams moving against the needles orthe needles moving against the cams.

The object of this invention is to prevent breakage of needles or otherinjury to the ma chine resulting from the needles striking against theends of the moving cams or the ends of the moving cams striking againstthe needles; and it consists in supplementary yielding cams pivoted insuitable positions to engage the needles and prevent them colliding withthe points of the fixed cams.

To this end I have designed and constructed the improvements representedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a. perspectiverepresentation of a portion of the rotary cam-cylinder of a rotaryknittingmachine to which I have applied my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3are outstretched inner face perspective representations ofa portion ofthe cameylinder with my improvements in place thereon. Fig. 4 is anoutside section in perspective on dotted line 1 on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is arepresentation of a needle. Figs. 6 and 7 are outstretched inner facerepresentations in perspective of a portion of the cam-cylinder, showingmodifications of my improvementsin place thereon. Fig. 8 is an outsidesection of the cam-cylinder in perspeetive on dotted line 2 on Fig. 6;and Fig. 9 is an outside section of the cam-cylinder in perspective ondotted line 3 on Fig. 7.

The cam-cylinder represented in the figures is of the form employed inwhat is known as the Franz 85 Pope knitting machine, (see United StatesLetters Patent Nos. 99,425 and 99,426,) and so far as concerns thecylinder A,

are at times thrown in position to engage the switch ends thereof, andunder the required movement of the cam-cylinder on the needlesupportingcylinder, or of the needle supporting cylinder within the cam-cylinder,the needles are broken, and in most instances the ma chine is otherwiseinjured, to prevent which I have employed the pivoted supplementalswitch-cams c and d in connection with the fixed cams B and O and thepivoted latch e in connection with the stitch-cam D and justalole cam E.

The pivotedsupplementaryswitch cams are in the main, in outline, ofobtuseangled triangular form, having a pivotal connection of the adtheirobtuse angular bevel-points with the camcylinder in such relativeposition with the fixed cams that the upper edges of their inner endsshall engage the under'faces of the fixed cams and their free outer endsextend in substantially the same annular lines in the cylin- So der withthe free ends of the fixed cams.

The upper edges of the switeheams are notched to receive the free endsof the fixed cams to permit the switclrcams to turn on their pivotalsupports and their free ends to rise from their dotted-line position totheir solid-line position, as shown at din Fig. 2 and at c in Fig. 3.

The pivotal supportingshafts h of the switch-cams, from their connectiontherewith.

extend through the cam-cylinder, and each of the outer ends of suchshafts is provided with a ring-head, 1', adj ustably fixed thereon bymeans of a set-screw to engage thepivot-shaft.

A spring, k, is coiled on the pivot-shaft between its ring-head and theouter face of the cam-eylinder, and one end thereof is connected withthe ringhead and its other end with the cam-cylinder in such a mannerthat when the ring-head is adjusted to regulate the force of ICC thespring properly and fixed in its adjusted position the action of thesprings will tend to hold the switch-cams in contact with theinner faceof the cam-cylinder and their inner ends in contact with the under edgesof the fixed cams, but in a manner to permit their rounded free ends torise, as shown in the figures.

A latch, e, of sector form, is pivoted in a recess formed in the underedge of the adjustable stitch-cam D in such position therein that thefree end of the latch will engage the inner upper angle of theadjustable cam E, to prevent the needles passing upward over the cam Eor striking its under angle when the cylinder is moving in the directionindicated in Fig. 2, but will permit the passage of the needles inwardover the cam when the cylinder is moving in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 3, in which movement of the needles the latch willrise into the recess in the cam D.

In use, with the cam-cylinder in Figs. 1 and 2 moving in the directionindicated by the arrows thereon, if from any cause the needles or any ofthem are carried to the position shown in the dotted lines, the needleso carried will be struck on its angle-arm a by the forward rounded endof the supplementary pivoted cam d, as shown in the dotted lines, and,by reason of the relative position of its rounded free end and itspivotal connection with the cylinder, the cam in colliding with theneedle will be made to rise from its dotted-line position to itsposition shown in the solid line, to override the angle-arm of theneedle, as shown in the'solid lines, to prevent breaking, and

cause theneedle to pass under the pivoted cam, over the left-handadjustable cam, F, under the stitch-cam D and the right-hand adjustablecam, E, and in its passage under the heel of the right-hand pivoted cam,0, will be made to trace the lower cam, II. In this movement of thecam-cylinder, if, after the stitch-cam has passed over the needles,anyone or more of them from the rapid movement of the machine or from anyother cause should be thrown up, the latch e will prevent them collidingwith the inner upper angle of the cam Eand preventbreakage.

In the use of this class of machines in knitting st'ockings, portions ofthe work as those forming the heel and toe of the goods-are producedonbut a portion of the needles, and for this purpose the unemployedneedles are raised above the action of the cams, and the remainingneedles are operated by an alternate back-and-forth or oscillatingmovement of the cam-cylinder through a portion of a revolution, asindicated by the arrows on Figs. 2 and 3. In the return movement of thecamcylinder the positions of the parts are shown in Fig. 3, and theoperation of the rounded free end of the pivoted cam c, in striking aneedle, as shown in the dotted lines, will be in every particular thesame as described in connection with the pivoted cam 11 in the direct orforwardmovement of the cam-cylinder. In the passage of the stitch-cam Dover the needles in the direction of the arrow in Fig.3 the pivotedlatch 6 will rise within the recess formed within the cam and overridethe needles.

Inasmuch as the reciprocating movement of the cam-cylinder is usuallyproduced by hand, it is not deemed necessary to employ a pivoted latchon the opposite side of the stitchcam D from the latch shown, becausehand power is under such immediate control that no injury would belikely to result from the rising of a needle; but, if required, suchlatch may be employed.

The modifications of my improvement represented in Figs. 6 and 8consist, essentially, of the cam m, provided with oblique slots a and n,to receive stndpinsn, fixed in the cam-cylinder in such relation to thefixed cams B and C that the upper edge of the inner end of the cam m,when in proper place on the pins, shall engage the under face of the cam13, and that force applied to its free outer end will cause it to assumethe position represented in the dotted lines. The cams mare each held inposition on the cylinder by means of a pin, 0, fixed in the cam andextending through aslot, 0, formed in the cylinder and provided with anadj ustable'ringhead, 0. A spring, 0', surrounding the shaft,

7 having one of its ends fixed to the cylinder and its other end fixedto the ring'head, operates to hold the cam in place on the cylinder inthe position shown in the solid lines and to permit it toyield to thepressure of the needles on its outer free end and change it to theposition shown in the dotted lines to override the angle-arm of theneedle and prevent breakage.

In the modification represented in Figs. 7 and 9 the under edges of thefixed camsB and O are inclined upward, and the upper edges of the innerends of the cams p are'beveled to engage the inclinednnder edges of thefixed cams. These cams 10, of which one only is shown, of a conformationsubstantially as shown, are each supported in their position on theinner face of the cylinder by, means of a shaft, 19, fixed in the camand extending outward through a slot, 1)", in the cylinder. A spring, 3,coiled on the shaft, has one of its ends fixed to the adjustablering-head s on the shaft and its other end fixed to the cylinder,

. and operates to hold the cam against the inner face of the cylinder inits forward position,with the beveled edge of its inner end against theunder inclined edge of the fixed cam in a manner to permit it-to yieldand rise to the position shown in the dotted lines when colliding with aneedle to override the angle-arm thereof and prevent breakage.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have omitted the cams on and p at the lefthand end ofthe figures to show the slots 0' and p and the stud-pinsn in thecylinders.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a knittingmachine, the combination, withthe cam-carrier and the stationary cam,

of a supplementary switch-cam having a pivotal connection with thecarrier, substantially as set forth.

2. In a knittinginachine, the combination, with the cam-carrier and thestationary cam, of a supplementary switelrcani having a piv ot-alconnection with the carrier and a spring to hold the switch-cam incontact with the edge of the fixed cam, substantially as set forth.

3. In a knittingmachine, the combination, with the cam-carrier and thestationary cam, of a supplementary switch-cam having a pivotalconnection with the carrier and a spring to hold the switch-cam incontact with the edge of the fixed cam, the spring connecting thepivotal support of the cam with the carrier, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the cam-carrier and a switch-cam having apivotal connection with the carrier, of a spring connected to thecarrier and t0 the pivotal support of the cam and means for adjustingthe spring in its connection with the pivotal support, substantially asset forth.

5. The combination, with the cam-carrier, the stitch-cam, and theadjustable cam, of a latch pivoted at the side of the stitch-cani andadapted to engage the adjustable cam, and thereby prevent thedisplacement of the needles or engagement with the angle of theadjustable cam, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the CZIIIl CilPliOI', the stitch-cam, and withthe adjustable cam, of a d rop-latch pivoted at the side of thestitchcam and adapted to rest normally in engagement with the upperportion of the adjustable cam to form a stop and return-guide for displaced needles, substantially as set forth.

HOWARD E. HARBAUGH.

\Vitnesses:

J noon BEHEL, A. O. BEHEL.

